Press and daily Dakotaian. (Yankton, Dakota Territory [S.D.]) 1880-1889, 1887-07-23

sauces, couN$ ,.SNl TO tHsm III Two let
ters written by the territorial auditor
under dates OF Frtasry &c and April /,
1854. These letters are addressed to the
secretary Of the hosrd. Ona Of them
reads
Your letter Of recent dase has been
placed before the attorney general and
In accordance with his opinion /
viii issue warrants in payment TOR fuel,
lights, etc from the incidental fund.
GEORGE l.. ORDwAY,
Auditor.
The other letter is of like purport.
The records OF the hospital show that it
has been a common practice throughout
the experience of that institution, to, use
money in one fund TO pay the expenses
of another fund. And it has the sane
ton of the highest legal officer in the
territory.
The main point, however, is the dis
position Of the money by the trustees
and it Is shown by the foregoing state
ment that this money was faithfully
applied. This is all the public is inter
ested in knowing.
The cause Of the attack upon the
trustees of the insane hospital was the
%re'usal OF Messrs Van Tassel, Powers ana
Williams. OF the board, to vote for q
change in the official management of
the hespital-a change which would
displace the present competent officers,
Tor no other reason than that they were
republicans, and put democrats in their
places. Messrs Brown and Lewis, Of
the board, were supposed to be willing
to consent to this change; and the vote
OF any one of the other three trustees
would have accomplished the design
and tht re would have been no ~investi-
cation, Mi. Van Tassel, being a DEM
ocrat, was labored with to vote with his
democratic colleagues for the removal
of the resident officers, but he positive
ly declined. 1t was then that the
charges were filed against Messrs Van
Tassel, Powers and Williams. In re-
Spouse to these charges tae governor
sent Auditor Ward to Yankton, osten-
sibly to investigate, but in reality to
win Mi. Van Tassel over. Relative to
this phase Of the matter We submit MIR.
| Van Tasssl's statement, which RUM as
follows:
On April. 27, 1887, james A. Ward.
auditor of Dakota territory, visited
1 " pntTfn aalttnp nm MAJ ~ ~ q, Inn - -
business, He represented that his visit
was at the request of Governor L.. X.
| Church who desired q change in the otii-
GERS of the Dakota hospital; that the
present officers were placed there by
republicans and that. now the demo-
Gratis were con top" | asked Mr.. Ward
If they (the otiioers) were considered
incompetent, or had any charges been
made that the patients were being
abused ,,Mr Ward replied, t'no"-that he
believed they were good men, but reiter.
ated that the governor desired their re.
movai purely on political grounds. This
conversation was substantially repeated
at the office of O. J. B. Harris the same
evening,in the presence of Oh, b. Harris
Col, East j, L. Sargent and O. Thrown
trustee.
declined to vote in favor OF q removal
on any such grounds and told Mr.. Ward
to say to the governor that / could make
no promises.
The interview that / had with Auditor
Ward was also repeated to Governor
Church at Huron June 18th il the
presence OF j.. g. Smith and j. r. Gam.
BILE and the governor did not deny that
MIR. Ward had represented him In the
matter.
Following the refusal Of MIR. VanTasseI
TO vote for the removal of hospital Off
oers upon purely partisan grounds camt
the public examiner and the ipyestlga-
tion of the trustees began. The first
effort was q failure, and the governo,
sent the public examiner back to Yank-
ton, accompanied by the attorney gem
eral, and another trial was made. The
examination was entirely en- parte, the
trustees answering such questions as
were put to them, but Offering nc
evidence in their own defence. The re-
suit Of this enquiry was-nothing, but
the estimate of a few democratic experts
that the secretary Of the old board, Mr..
COLBY, might have had certain worl
done more cheaply thsn it was done
Upon this the Church fragment of the
democratic party charges irregularities
upon Messrs. Van Tassel. Powers anc
Williams. We submit the foregoing
statement in contradiction of this elan
der.